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Catholic News, Catholic Articles, Catholic Apologetics, Catholic Content, Catholic InformationTue, 31 Mar 2015 14:23:12 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1The Pharisee, the Publican, and Youhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/-5poVCTtkuM/pharisee-publican
http://catholicexchange.com/pharisee-publican#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 14:14:19 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184882The Easter Triduum fast approaches. It is a time in which we remember Christ embracing the cross for the love of us, and one in which we joyfully celebrate his triumphant resurrection, which is the source of all our hope. But it is also a time of remembering what Christ saved us from, namely, our sins. Today, […]]]>

The Easter Triduum fast approaches. It is a time in which we remember Christ embracing the cross for the love of us, and one in which we joyfully celebrate his triumphant resurrection, which is the source of all our hope. But it is also a time of remembering what Christ saved us from, namely, our sins. Today, I want to reflect briefly on how humble repentance frees us from sin.

While many would deny it, it is a fact that we are all desperately sick with sin. It eats away at our souls like the deadly Ebola virus, and unchecked, it will inevitably lead to our spiritual death. How then do we find healing? How then are we made whole? The remedy is simple: Repentance. And there is no better illustration of repentance than the parable of the Pharisee and the publican:

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Spirit of the Pharisee

How subtle is Pharisaism. How easy it is to scorn others and hold them in contempt. How natural for us to think that we are healthy and whole spiritually when in reality we are diseased and dying. We look at prostitutes, drug addicts, criminals, and those who have ruined their lives with sinful choices and think, “I’m so glad I’m not like that! I’m so glad my life isn’t a mess. Sure, I still sin (doesn’t everyone?), but at least I know God and haven’t been as immoral as others.”

In these moments when we feel like we are good, spiritual people who have it all together, we are far from God. “You say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked,” Christ says to us, his voice filled with grief (Rev. 3:17).

The root of this pharisaic pride is forgetting that sin is a matter of the heart, and that it is just as easy to be “wretched” in God’s eyes when we outwardly appear good as it is when we are outwardly immoral. That was the whole problem with the Pharisees—they washed the outside of the cup and ignored the inside.

A Broken Spirit

The solution is the humility of the publican. The publican had no doubt he was a sinner. He saw the gravity of his sins and they overwhelmed him. There was no self-sufficiency in him, and there was no doubt in his mind that he was a very sinful man. “A humble and contrite heart, thou, O God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

This humility, this acknowledgement of our utter neediness, is the heart of true repentance. In God’s order of justice, only those who accuse themselves of their sins and confess like common criminals can find forgiveness, just as the one with leprosy can only find healing when he runs to the nearest physician. It is only when we are condemned that we find pardon.

The truth is, we are all desperately in need of God’s healing and forgiveness. Though our sins may be more subtle, they are nonetheless grave for their hiddenness. Perhaps they are more grave since their subtlety convinces us that we are well. We are all sinners; there is no place for us to despise or condemn anyone but ourselves.

This holy week, let’s embrace the spirit of the publican, and in our weakness and sinfulness, let us cry out to our Lord, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” For he did not come to heal the well, but the sick, and if we do not acknowledge our sin, we have no part with him. As he himself said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/pharisee-publican/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/pharisee-publicanChrist’s Sorrow and Passionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/DQstIKRcwd4/christs-sorrow-passion
http://catholicexchange.com/christs-sorrow-passion#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:07:27 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184848Jesus, desiring to enrich us, first gave us his blood to purify us so that we might be able to receive the gifts he offers. O my dear Savior, you go out to the Garden of Olives, to the house of Caiaphas, to the praetorium of the Roman gov­ernor, and at last you climb Mount […]]]>

Jesus, desiring to enrich us, first gave us his blood to purify us so that we might be able to receive the gifts he offers. O my dear Savior, you go out to the Garden of Olives, to the house of Caiaphas, to the praetorium of the Roman gov­ernor, and at last you climb Mount Calvary. Everywhere you go you pour out the blood of your new covenant, the blood by which our crimes are expiated and abolished.

Let us contemplate Jesus in his sorrowful Passion and see the precious blood of the new alliance flow forth, the blood by which we have been redeemed. It first flows in the Garden of Olives. The robes of my Savior are pierced, and the earth is moistened by the bloody sweat of his body. O God! What is this spectacle that so bewilders us? What is, rather, this mystery that both cleanses and sanctifies us?

From Bp. Bossuet’s Meditations for Lent.

Is not the answer that our Savior knew that our salva­tion was in his blood? And that from his ardent desire to save our souls, his blood burst forth, blood which holds within itself our life much more than his own? Thus it seems that this divine blood, so desirous of flowing forth for us, overflowed by the force of his charity, before any violence had been done to him. Let us rush with faith to receive this blood. “O earth, cover not this blood!” (cf. Job 16:18). It is poured out for our souls.

This unprecedented sweat reveals another mystery. In his desire to expiate our crimes, Jesus voluntarily aban­doned himself to an infinite sorrow for all of our excesses. He saw them all, one by one, and was afflicted by them beyond measure, as if he himself had committed them, for he was charged with them before God. Yes, our iniquities poured upon him from every direction, so that he could say with David, “the torrents of iniquity troubled me” (Ps. 17:5, Douay-Rheims [RSV = Ps. 18:4]). This is why he said, “Now is my soul troubled” (John 12:27). This was the cause of the inexplicable anguish that brought him to pronounce these words: “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matt. 26:38).

The immensity of sorrow could, in fact, have dealt the death-blow itself, if Jesus had not restrained his soul, preserving it to endure greater evils and to drink the whole cup of his Passion. He neverthe­less allowed his blood to overflow in the Garden of Olives to convince us that our sins — yes, our sins alone, without the executioner’s help — could have brought about his death. Can you believe that sin could have such great and evil power? If we only saw Jesus fall into the hands of the soldiers who scourged, tormented, and crucified him, we would blame his death only upon this torture. Now that we see him succumb in the Garden of Olives, where he has only our sins to persecute him, we may ac­cuse ourselves. Let us weep, beat our breasts, and tremble in the very depths of our conscience. How could we not be seized with fright, having ourselves, in our very hearts, so certain a cause of death? If sin alone sufficed to kill God, how can mortal men survive with such a poison in their bodies? No. We exist only by a continuous miracle of mercy. The same divine power that miraculously sus­tained the soul of the Savior, that he might endure the whole punishment, sustains ours that we might accom­plish our penance, or at least begin it.

After our Savior had made his blood pour forth by the force of his afflicted charity alone, we can easily be­lieve that he would not spare it from the cruel persecutors of his innocence. Wherever Jesus was during the course of his Passion, a furious cruelty wounded him again and again. If we were to accompany him to each of the places he went, we would see the bloody tracks that marked his way. The chief priest’s house, the Roman judge’s tribunal, the guard house where Jesus was handed over to the brutal insolence of the soldiers, and all the streets of Jerusalem are stained with the divine blood that purified Heaven and earth.

We should never come to an end should we attempt to consider all of the cruel circumstances in which this innocent blood was shed. It suffices to say that on this day of blood and carnage, on this day at once deadly and salvific, on which the powers of Hell were loosed upon Jesus Christ, he renounced his own power. While his en­emies were able to do all that they wished, he voluntarily reduced himself to the condition of enduring all. By the effect of the same divine plan, God loosened the bridle of the envious and held back all the power of his Son. While all the powers of Hell were unchained, the protec­tion of Heaven was withdrawn, so that Jesus was exposed naked and disarmed, powerless and without being able to resist, to anyone who wished to insult him.

After this, need we contemplate the infinite details of his sorrow? Need we consider how he was ruthlessly handed over to lackeys and soldiers to be the object of their bloody scorn and to suffer from their insolence ev­ery blow that their pitiless mockery and malicious cruelty could deal? Need we imagine this dear Savior allowing his body to feel the strength of these executioners, their hard scourge upon his back, the sharp spines upon his head? O divine Jesus! How much blood did it cost the God-man to win our salvation!

The new covenant was not yet sealed, for his veins had not yet been emptied upon the Cross. We must con­sider the sufferings of a man whose limbs are bruised and broken by a violent hanging, no longer even feeling his wounds, hanging from hands torn by the weight of his body, completely beaten by the loss of his blood. Amid this excessive pain, he was lifted up, it seemed, for the sole purpose of seeing the crowd of people mock him and laugh at his deplorable condition. After all this, could we be surprised if Jesus were to ask, “Is there any sorrow like my sorrow?” (cf. Lam. 1:12).

Our hearts should be made tender by this pitiable sight. We must not leave the great spectacle of Calvary with dry eyes. There is no heart so hardened that it can see human blood spilled and not be moved. But the blood of Jesus gives our hearts the grace of compunction, which is the emotion of penitence. Those who remained near his Cross and watched him breathe his final breath, “re­turned home beating their breasts” (Luke 23:48). Jesus Christ, dying a cruel death and spilling his innocent blood, poured out a spirit of compunction and penitence upon the whole of Mount Calvary. We must not let our hearts be hardened. Let us make Calvary echo with the sound of our sobbing. Let us weep bitter tears for our sins and turn against ourselves with a holy anger. Let us break all our unworthy habits and leave behind our worldly lives. Let us carry in ourselves the death of Jesus Christ.

Editor’s note: This article is from a chapter in Bp. Bossuet’s Meditations for Lent, which is available from Sophia Institute Press.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/christs-sorrow-passion/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/christs-sorrow-passionChrist’s Words from the Cross: 7 Weapons of Victory Over Evilhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/wvsEfDBt6Ng/christs-words-cross-7-weapons-victory-evil
http://catholicexchange.com/christs-words-cross-7-weapons-victory-evil#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:05:58 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184854In Venerable Fulton Sheen’s classic, The Life of Christ, we read, “He had already said that no one would take away his life from Him, but that he would lay it down Himself. Death did not lay its hand on his shoulder and give him a summons to depart. He went out to meet death. […]]]>

In Venerable Fulton Sheen’s classic, The Life of Christ, we read, “He had already said that no one would take away his life from Him, but that he would lay it down Himself. Death did not lay its hand on his shoulder and give him a summons to depart. He went out to meet death. In order to show that he would not die from exhaustion, but by an act of the will, his last words were spoken.”

From the pulpit of the Cross, Christ’s seven last words are proclamations of victory over evil and death. We can profess His words as a weapon of victory in our own spiritual battles. His words from the cross carry the weight of Christ’s self-sacrificing love that defeats the pride of Satan. When we experience demonic temptations or oppression, we can prayerfully echo Christ’s words from Calvary with the authority of a baptized soul.

The First Word: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

In the first lesson from the Cross Christ gives us the weapon of forgiveness. This spiritual weapon overthrows demonic condemnation and hatred. To believe that Christ redeems our fallen nature, and forgives sinners, is to stand with Christ against the ancient Accuser, Liar and Thief. When we forgive those who trespass against us, we are wielding the weapon of forgiveness (fruit of love) and proclaiming Christ’s victory over evil and death. When we humbly receive His mercy into our hearts, we are defeating human and also demonic pride and rebellion by accepting God’s forgiveness.

Prayer

Dear Lord, graciously help me to live today as a forgiven person, opening my heart to you, choosing not to sin because the power of sin has been broken by your passion, death and resurrection. Graciously help me to accept your forgiveness, and to be able to forgive others also. Then I extend the blessing and break the curse of unforgiveness.

The Second Word: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

In the second lesson from the Cross Christ gives us the spiritual weapon of Divine Mercy.

The executioners cruelly subjected Christ to unrelenting mockery. He was scorned also by one of the criminals being crucified beside him. But the other criminal called the Good Thief, spoke up for Jesus and cried, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus responded to this criminal, “I assure you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Here we encounter one of the most encouraging verses in all of Scripture, a perfect example of Christ’s unfathomable mercy for sinners. Mercy triumphs and Satan is defeated.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, your infinite mercy embraces, encourages and heals me. When I, a sinner, cry out to you, you hear and answer me with patience and kindness. Though my situation is different from the criminal who cried out to you, I am nevertheless quite like him. My life is in your hands and my heart prays always, “Jesus, remember me and have mercy.” Graciously form me into a vessel of your mercy so I can gather souls unto you.

In the third lesson from the Cross Christ gives us the spiritual weapon of His Mother! The presence of Mary at the foot of the cross adds honor, humanity and horror to the scene. She is the mother of the Crucified One. Now she also needs Jesus to complete the perfect sacrifice for redemption. Jesus, dying on the cross as Savior of the world, is also a Son who does not neglect His Mother. He turns to John and entrusts Mary to him. He turns to Mary and entrusts John to her. Could this be the first example of Marian consecration? The yes of Jesus and the yes of His Mother defeat Satan who refused to serve and attempted to thwart God’s plan. When we behold our Heavenly Mother, and consecrate ourselves to Mary, we also are God’s weapons against evil.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, the presence of your Blessed Mother at the Cross engages my heart. You are the Savior of the world but you are also a Son with a beloved Mother. You entrusted her to John, to the Church, to be the Mother of humanity. You tell us to behold Mary so she can behold us too. Lord, please unite me to Mary in a covenant of consecration so that she will accompany me on my journey to the Father. On the way, she will crush the head of the ancient serpent and banish legions according to your divine will.

In the fourth lesson from the Cross Christ gives us the weapon of prayer. As Jesus was dying on the cross, He echoed the beginning of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1). In the midst of His agonizing death, Jesus, prayed to the Father because He is the God-Man who prays always. This fourth word from the Cross is not so much a question, as it is a prayer from His pierced heart. Whenever we pray, we are turning to God and away from the evil one and his wiles. The prayer of a trusting heart is not only part of the armor of God, it is the holy oil that keeps the armor from corruption.

Prayer

O Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times that I have abandoned you by deafening my ears, closing my eyes, turning my back, and distracting my self from your call to prayer. Help me to be a person who loves to commune with you in prayer. Grant me to cry out from the depths of my heart in prayer of praise, gratitude, reparation, intercession, and petition. When the evil one tempts me to sin or sends oppressive darts of discouragement, please help me to pray and trust more.

The Fifth Word: “I thirst.” (John 19:28)

In the fifth lesson from the cross Christ gives us the spiritual weapon of thirst for living water. John notes that Jesus said, “I thirst,” not only as a statement of physical reality, but also to fulfill the Scripture. Psalm 69 includes this passage, “Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity, if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poison for food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. We thirst also for the living water that Jesus supplies (John 4:10; 7:38-39). Baptism plunges us into the life of the Trinity so Satan has no more claims on us. When we thirst for God, we abide near streams of living water and avoid the parched wastelands of demonic fire. Then we can be attentive to the Lord’s thirst.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I hear the cry of your Sacred Heart of love in the words, “I thirst”. I hear the cry of my own heart also. Please allow me to give you a drink from the stream of my love. I thirst also for the new wine of your kingdom where living water flows in abundance. May our mutual thirst keep us in the communion of love. In the refuge of your Sacred Heart that thirsts, I am protected from the evil one who would like to carry me off to his wasteland where no living water flows. Thank you, Lord.

The Sixth Word: “It is finished!” (John 19:30)

In the sixth word from the Cross Christ gives us the spiritual weapons of faith and fortitude. When Christ said, “It is finished,” it meant so much more than the mission is complete. With these words he announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God. We can live now in the confidence of Jesus’ cry of victory: “It is finished!” We know nothing can separate us from God’s love. Satan’s knows this too. The ancient Serpent is banished to the lowest netherworld from which he comes forth only as God allows, tempting and testing humanity for a time, only to return to his dark hole of nothingness.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, you finished the mission for which you had been sent, faithful in life, faithful in death. By your passion, death and resurrection, I am healed of the original sin wound. Lord, please help me to grow in the virtues of faith and fortitude so that I can complete the mission you entrusted to me. Please help me to fearlessly proclaim your victory.

In the seventh word from the cross Christ provides the spiritual weapon of surrender to Divine Providence. Two of the last seven “words” of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier Jesus echoed Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” to express his anguish. Later he echoed Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke as “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” By quoting a portion of Psalm 31, Jesus not only entrusted his future to his Father, but also implied that he would be delivered and exonerated. Beyond this horrific death lay something marvelous. “Into your hands I commend my spirit,” points back to the suffering of David in Psalm 31, and forward to the resurrection.

Prayer

Gracious Lord, as you once entrusted your spirit into the hands of the Father, so I give my life to you. For love of you, I submit to your sovereignty, and seek to live for your glory alone. Here I am, Lord, available to you. As you entrusted your spirit into the Father’s hands, you did so in anticipation of the glory to come. We reflect upon your death, not in despair, but in hope. Easter Sunday is on the horizon.

Closing Reflection

Venerable Fulton Sheen penned,

“It is difficult for man who thinks of dying as the most terrible crisis in his life, to understand the joy that inspired these words of the dying Christ. Man thinks that it is his dying that decides his future state. It is rather his living that does that. Some of the choices he has made, the opportunities that were in his hand, the graces that he accepted or threw away are what decides his future. The peril of living is greater than the peril of dying. So now it was the way he lived—namely, to ransom man that determined the joy of his dying and his union with the heavenly Father. On this day, the Lamb of God was slain and all the prophecies were fulfilled. The work of redemption was finished. There was a rupture of a heart in a rapture of love. The Son of Man bowed his head and willed to die of love.”

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/christs-words-cross-7-weapons-victory-evil/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/christs-words-cross-7-weapons-victory-evilTen Ways to Meditate on Christ’s Passionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/crpWd-laqR0/ten-ways-meditate-christs-passion
http://catholicexchange.com/ten-ways-meditate-christs-passion#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:02:49 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184857Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, in the third week of the month retreat which is dedicated to the contemplation of the Passion, suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accentuates the fact that Jesus suffered all in His Passion for me… This is very intimate and personal! In other words instead […]]]>

Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises, in the third week of the month retreat which is dedicated to the contemplation of the Passion, suffering and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accentuates the fact that Jesus suffered all in His Passion for me… This is very intimate and personal!

In other words instead of viewing the Passion from afar, 2000 years back buried in history, Saint Ignatius brings it to us right now. Jesus suffered all of the details of His bitter passion for me. The Agony in the Garden, the scourging at the pillar, His crowning with thorns with the insults, spitting, buffeting, punching and pounding, the carrying of the cross, the brutal crucifixion, the hours of agony as He hung on the cross, the profuse loss of His Precious Blood and suffocation—all of these excruciating sufferings and many more, He suffered for me!

If that were not enough, if you and I were the only person in the entire world, Jesus would have become Incarnate, lived and died accompanied with all of those gruesome and excruciating details and just for me and just for you. Still more Jesus would be willing to do it over and over, simply for love of me! How great is the love of Jesus for all, but especially for you and for me.

Saint Faustina highlights in the Diary that love can be measured by one measuring-rod—the willingness to suffer for the loved one. No greater love ever existed than the love that Jesus manifested that Holy Thursday night and Good Friday—the day of His passion, crucifixion and death on the cross.

In moments of desolation it is very propitious for all of us to recall how much Jesus really does love us by reflection on His Passion that he underwent for me individually. Furthermore, most salutary is the contemplation of Jesus shedding His Precious Blood for the salvation of my immortal soul.

How precious and valuable is your immortal soul! Saint Peter reminds us with these penetrating words:

That you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless, unblemished lamb.(I Peter 1:18-19)

Your immortal soul was saved by Jesus and the Precious Blood that He shed especially as He hung on the cross that Friday that we call “Good!” Overwhelmed by the awesome and fathomless reality of the Passion, suffering, shedding of Blood and death of Jesus, we might ask ourselves how can we plumb the depths of the greatest love story ever penned, not with regular ink, but with the Precious red Blood (INK) of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Time and time again Jesus invited Saint Faustina Kowalska, if she really wanted to plumb the depths of the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, then to contemplate the Passion of Jesus. “No greater love has a man that to lay down His life for the ones He loves.”

The following are ten helpful suggestions so that we can at least start to plumb the depths of the love of Jesus who died on Good Friday for love of you and for me and for the salvation of my immortal soul!

1. Read the Biblical Passion Account. First of all we should become familiar with the Biblical narratives of the Passion of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; there are four and each one of the accounts has specific details that differentiate them one from the other. They can be found in two chapters of the four Gospels: Mt. 26-27, Mk. 14-15, Lk. 22-23, and finally Jn. 18-19. Read them; meditate on them, learn them; assimilate them and take them to heart!. Let them transform your life!

2. Crucifix. Spend some time in silent reflection and contemplation before a graphic and moving crucifix. An important difference between most Protestants and Catholics is that the Catholics emphasize having the Corpus or Body of Jesus hanging from the cross. Look deeply into Jesus eyes, wounds and Sacred Heart pierced with the lance and derive abundant spiritual fruit. He died for you and me!

3. Way of the Cross. Make the pious practice and devotion that is called The Way of the Cross. Jesus suggested to Saint Faustina in the Diary that if her obligations did not block it that at 3:00 p.m. every day (The Mercy Hour) that she make the Way of the Cross. The past Popes have given public witness to the Way of the Cross by making them in the Coliseum in Rome on Good Friday. Slowly and prayerfully move from one station to the next (there are 14 in total) and talk to Jesus as your best friend; accompany Him as did His Mother Mary. Help Him to carry the cross like Simon the Cyrene. Wipe Jesus’ tired and dirty face as did the valiant Veronica. Be a real and active participant in the Passion of Jesus through the pious practice of the Way of the Cross.

4. Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Always and at all times that we are free for a few minutes it is very profitable to pray the most Holy Rosary. Especially important is it to pray and meditate the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, especially the five Sorrowful Mysteries in Lent and Holy Week. They are: The Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion of Jesus. Right now, which of these mysteries touches your heart and life most? Talk to Jesus about this; He is waiting for you!

5. Good Confession. Making frequent and heart-felt confessions is a common practice among the saints and all of us are called to become saints. Jesus said: “Be holy as your heavenly Father is holy.” However, Holy Week is a most opportune time. Saint Pope John Paul II was seen often in the confessional reconciling sinners to God especially on Good Friday. The Sacrament of Confession is a clear and practical means to apply the Passion, Precious Blood and death of Jesus to our own lives. Why? For the simple reason that by making a good confession we die to sin and rise to the new life of grace; also it is the Precious Blood of Jesus that He shed for us on Calvary that first Good Friday that washes and cleanses our soul from the dirt and ugliness of sin.

6. Meditate on the Seven Last Words of Christ. Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, for many years preached on the seven last words that Jesus uttered from the cross. Sheen, with his typical eloquence, stated that Jesus ascended the pulpit of the cross to preach His best and most eloquent sermon. Do you know the seven last words of Jesus from the cross? If not, now is the time to make an effort to memorize them…

“Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.”

“I thirst.”

“My God, my God why have your forsaken me?”

“Woman behold thy son; son behold thy mother.”

“Amen I say to you: today you will be with me in Paradise.”

“Into your hands I commend my spirit.”

“It is finished.

Which of these words or short sentences that were the last words that Jesus uttered from the pulpit of the cross seem to touch you most? Enter into a deep conversation with Jesus over these words; He is longing to talk to you!

7. The Passion of the Christ. View the classic film by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ. This film has turned out to be one of the greatest classics of Hollywood. View this film, but not simply as a Hollywood rendition, but rather as if it were a contemplation, a deep prayer. As Saint Ignatius would suggest, try to enter into the Composition of Place and truly be present. Be not present simply as a passive spectator, but rather as an active participant. If you like, accompany the Blessed Virgin Mary during the whole trajectory of the Calvary climb. Walk with Jesus; console Jesus; have compassion on Jesus and love Him who loved you so much that he went through all the bitter moment so His Passion for love of you and me!

8. Penance. Given that Jesus sacrificed and suffered so much for you, why not offer up some form of sacrifice even if it be something very small. Jesus does not look so much at the exterior greatness of the action but in the love that accompanies even the smallest of actions. The love of the sacrifice of Jesus demands love on our part! What are you willing to give the Lord?

9. Good Friday Liturgy. Participate fully, actively and consciously in the moving Liturgy and ceremony of Good Friday. There is no Mass, but there is a moving and profound Liturgy that can be divided into three parts:

1) The Reading (like on Palm Sunday) of the Passion of Jesus, from the Gospel of Saint John

2) The veneration of the Holy cross. Draw close to the Holy Cross and reverentially kiss it as a sign of your gratitude and love for the suffering that Jesus underwent for the salvation of your immortal soul

3) Holy Communion. The most important part of the ceremony of Good Friday is the Rite of Holy Communion. If you are well-disposed, receive Jesus into the depths of your heart with burning love!

10. Our Lady of Sorrows. Of enormous help in plumbing the depths of the Passion, suffering and death of Jesus is the person and the presence of Our Lady of Sorrows. Aside from Jesus Himself, nobody ever suffered or loved as much as Our Lady. There she was “Stabat Mater”, the Mother who stood valiantly at the foot of the cross as she watched her Son, shed every drop of His Precious Blood that she gave to Him in His humanity. She heard and meditated on His last words. She saw Him die and breathe forth His spirit into the hands of the Father. Our Lady even saw and experienced the piercing of His Sacred Heart from which flowed Blood and water—the birth of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Beg for the grace to be able to contemplate the Passion of Jesus through the eyes and heart of Mary, our life our sweetness and our hope! May our meditation on the Passion, suffering, and death of Jesus transform our whole lives and being into a living sacrifice of praise to our all-loving Savior and Redeemer!

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/ten-ways-meditate-christs-passion/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/ten-ways-meditate-christs-passionHoly Week and Judashttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/IlIXwvxdloo/holy-week-judas
http://catholicexchange.com/holy-week-judas#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:00:34 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184860The Gospel selections for the first three days of Holy Week are heavy with tragedy; not the tragedy of Christ and his violent death at the hands of the men for whom he died, but the tragedy of Judas who betrayed the man who loved him. The tragic figure of Judas Iscariot stalks through these Gospels, dominating them, weighing them with anguish and pain.

Today’s and tomorrow’s Gospel readings focus on the most tragic act of all – Judas’ betrayal of Jesus – as told by the evangelists John and Matthew.

Why this heavy emphasis on the person of Judas, and on his tragic act of betrayal on the first three days of Holy Week? Would it not be better and far more devotional for the Church to center her and our attention on Christ, on his love for us, on his incomparable love for us: his laying down his life for his friends? But no-the Church, year after year, comes back during the first three days of Holy Week to Judas and his act of betrayal. Why?

It seems as though the Church down through the ages has been struggling and struggles still, to understand. How could it be possible that a man chosen by Jesus, loved by Jesus, invited by him into the intimacy of his fellowship would turn on Jesus and betray him? How? Why?

The answer to this question will not be found by analyzing, meditating on, poring over the Gospel texts. The answer is not written there. It is written within us, in our hearts.

For we, too, have been called by Jesus, loved and redeemed by him, admitted into intimate association with him through prayer and the sacraments. And yet, we allow the attraction of material things, of wealth, of power, of pleasure, of good living, lead us into compromises with and even betrayal of Jesus’ principles and ideals.

Perhaps this is why the Church focuses on the tragedy of Judas early in Holy Week: to lead us to look at the Judas within us. We might then be able to exorcise this Judas, by expressing sorrow and seeking forgiveness. If we do go through this process of conversion early in Holy Week, we will be able to accompany the Lord with greater sympathy and empathy, as we relive his passion and resurrection once again this year.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/holy-week-judas/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/holy-week-judashttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/HQHj8ogFv2s/184862
http://catholicexchange.com/184862#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:00:10 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184862“We must not let our hearts be hardened. Let us make Calvary echo with the sound of our sobbing. Let us weep bitter tears for our sins and turn against ourselves with a holy anger. Let us break all our unworthy habits and leave behind our worldly lives. Let us carry in ourselves the death of Jesus Christ.”

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/184862/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/184862St. Benjaminhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/kp1Db6rsjaY/saint-benjamin
http://catholicexchange.com/saint-benjamin#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 04:00:00 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/2009/03/31/97021/It was the fifth century and Yezdegerd, son of Sapor III, was ruling Persia. There was little persecution of Christians during this time, however, a Christian bishop named Abdas changed that. Abdas, in his zeal and out of righteous anger toward idolatry, burned the Temple of Fire, the sacred sanctuary of the Persians. This act […]]]>

It was the fifth century and Yezdegerd, son of Sapor III, was ruling Persia. There was little persecution of Christians during this time, however, a Christian bishop named Abdas changed that. Abdas, in his zeal and out of righteous anger toward idolatry, burned the Temple of Fire, the sacred sanctuary of the Persians. This act infuriated King Yezdegerd and he declared that Bishop Abdas would either rebuild the Persian temple or the king would burn all the Christian churches.

When Abdas refused to obey the king’s command, he carried out his order and had all the Christian churches utterly destroyed. Abdas was put to death and a great persecution of Christians in Persia began which lasted for the next forty years. Even though Yezdegerd died in 421, his son, Varanes continued the persecution. Under the reign of this ruler, Christians were subject to heinous and cruel torture.

One Christian who was living during this time was Benjamin. Benjamin was a deacon who was serving time in prison for openly declaring his Christian faith. He had been in prison for a year when an ambassador of the Emperor of Constantinople was able to secure his release. The condition of his release, however, was that he would not speak about his faith. Apparently the ambassador consented to this condition on Benjamin’s behalf in order to obtain his release, but Benjamin was not about to be silenced. He said it was his duty to evangelize and tell others about Christ and there was no way he would be quiet. Therefore, he continued his preaching and was again arrested and brought before King Varanes. This evil King ordered that reeds be pushed under his fingernails and in other areas of his body to inflict great pain and then be pulled out. This cruel procedure was repeated many times. He was then impaled by thrusting a long stake into his bowels up through his body, ripping through vital organs. Thus, Benjamin became a martyr for his Christian faith in the year 424.

Lessons

Benjamin took seriously the words of our Lord Who said, “whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven” (Mt 10:33). Benjamin would not deny the Lord and so he suffered the terrible consequences thrust upon him by evil rulers. Unless we are willing to lose our lives for Christ’s sake, we will not inherit His Kingdom, nor should we. Today, give your heart to Jesus and live your life for Him, that He may prepare a place for you in His Eternal Kingdom.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, May we never fear voicing our love for You. We pray that, like Saint Benjamin, we witness our faith always, even in the face of adversity. Amen

Other Saints We Remember Today

Blessed Jane of Toulouse (1286), Foundress of the Carmelite Third Order

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/saint-benjamin/feed1http://catholicexchange.com/saint-benjaminOn the Holy Communionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/S6FrtpzmJ1s/holy-communion-2
http://catholicexchange.com/holy-communion-2#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 08:35:00 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184835ON THE HOLY COMMUNION “Take ye, and eat: this is my body.” Matthew 26:26 Let us consider the great gift which Jesus Christ has bestowed on us in the institution of the most holy sacrament; the great love he has shown to us in this gift; and his great desire that we should receive this […]]]>

ON THE HOLY COMMUNION

“Take ye, and eat: this is my body.”Matthew 26:26

Let us consider the great gift which Jesus Christ has bestowed on us in the institution of the most holy sacrament; the great love he has shown to us in this gift; and his great desire that we should receive this gift. Let us, in the first place, consider the great gift which Jesus Christ has bestowed upon us in giving us himself entirely for our food in the holy communion. St. Augustine says that Jesus Christ, though an omnipotent God, has nothing more to give us. “Cum esset omnipotens, plus dare non potuit.” And what greater treasure, adds St. Bernardine of Siena, can a soul receive or desire, than the sacred body of Jesus Christ? “Quis melior thesaurus in corde hominis esse potest, quam corpus Christi?” The prophet Isaiah exclaims, O men, proclaim aloud the loving inventions of our good God (cf Isaiah 12:4). And if our Redeemer had not bestowed this gift upon us, who among us could have asked it? Who could have dared to say to him. Lord, if you wish to make us understand your love, remain under the species of bread, and permit us to make you our food? Even to think of it would be considered folly. “Does it not,” says St. Augustine, “appear foolishness to say. Eat my flesh; drink my blood?” When Jesus Christ made known to his disciples this great gift of the most holy sacrament which he wished to leave us, they could not bring themselves to believe it; and, therefore, they departed from him, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?…This saying is hard, and who can hear it?” (cf John 6:52, 60). But what men could never imagine, the great love of Jesus Christ has invented and executed.

St. Bernardine says that the Lord has left us this sacrament as a memorial of the love he has shown us in his passion: “Hoc sacramentum est meraoriale suae dilectionis.” And this accords with what Jesus Christ himself has said: “Do this for a commemoration of me” (cf Luke 22:19). The love of our Savior, adds St. Bernardine, was not content with sacrificing his life for our salvation before his death, this love constrained him to bequeath to us the greatest gift which he had ever bestowed upon us, by giving us himself for our food. “In illo fervoris excessu quando paratus erat pro nobit mori, ab excessu a moris majus opus agere coactus est, quam unquam operatus fuerat, dare nobis corpus in cibum” (S. Ber. Sen., tom. ii serm. live. cap. i). The abbot Guerric says that, in this sacrament, Jesus made the last effort of love. “Omnem vim amorise effudit amicis” (Serm. v. de Ascens). This was better expressed by the Council of Trent, which declared that, in the Eucharist, Jesus poured out all the riches of his love for men. “Divitias sui erga homines amoris velut effucit” (Sess xiii cap ii).

How great, says St. Francis de Sales, the tenderness of love which a prince would show to a beggar by sending him a part of what he had on his own plate! How much greater should it be, if he sent him the entire of his own dinner! But what would it be, if he sent him, for his food, a part of his own arm! In the holy communion, Jesus gives us not only a portion of his own dinner, not only a part, but the entire of his body. “Take ye, and eat; this is my body.” And with his body he gives us his soul and his divinity. In a word, St. Chrysostom says that, in giving you himself in the holy communion, he gives you all that he has, and reserves nothing for himself. “Totum tibi dedit, nihil sibi reliquit.” And the angelic doctor says that, “in the Eucharist, God has given us all that he is and has.” Behold! exclaims St. Bonaventure, that God whom the world cannot contain, makes himself our prisoner in the most holy sacrament. “Ecce quern mundus capere non potest, captivus noster est.” And since the Lord gives himself entirely to us in the Eucharist, how can we fear that he should refuse us any grace which we ask of him? “How,” says St. Paul, “hath he not also, with him, given us all things?” (cf Romans 8:32).

Affections and Prayers

O my Jesus, what has induced thee to give thyself entirely to us for our food? After this gift what more remains for thee to give us in order to oblige us to love thee? Ah, Lord, give us light, make us understand the excess of thy love in becoming food in order to unite thyself to poor sinners! But, if thou givest thyself entirely to us, it is just that we too give our whole being to thee. O my Redeemer, how have I been able to offend thee, who hast loved me so tenderly, and who hast done so much to gain my love? Thou hast become man for my sake, thou hast died for me, thou hast become my food; tell me, what more couldst thou have done? I love thee, O infinite Goodness; I love thee, O infinite Love. Lord, come often to my soul; inflame my whole heart with thy holy love grant that I may forget all things in order to think only of thee, and to love nothing but thee. Most holy Mary, pray for me, and by thy intercession make me worthy to receive thy Son frequently in the holy sacrament.

Editor’s Note: This meditation is from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s “Preparation for Death” (1758).

Art: Last Supper, Philippe de Champaigne, 1648, PD-US, Restored Traditions, used with permission.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/holy-communion-2/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/holy-communion-2His Heart Was Pierced for Ushttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/DM7hk6xhlmg/heart-pierced-us
http://catholicexchange.com/heart-pierced-us#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 04:07:00 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184819He had given us His Mother. He had given His spirit to His Father. He had spent five hours bleeding for us. He had breathed his last and died. But Christ had one thing left to give us, to pour out for us, on the Cross: His heart. Here is how it is described in […]]]>

He had given us His Mother. He had given His spirit to His Father.

He had spent five hours bleeding for us. He had breathed his last and died.

But Christ had one thing left to give us, to pour out for us, on the Cross: His heart.

Here is how it is described in the Gospel of John:

The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water. And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe (John 19:32-35, Douay-Rheims translation).

It is not reading too much into this text to see, in the piercing of Christ’s side, a wound to His heart. In his encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Pope Pius XII says this is a proper reading of the gospel account:

What is here written of the side of Christ, opened by the wound from the soldier, should also be said of the Heart which was certainly reached by the stab of the lance, since the soldier pierced it precisely to make certain that Jesus Christ crucified was really dead. Hence the wound of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, now that He has completed His mortal life, remains through the course of the ages a striking image of that spontaneous charity by which God gave His only begotten Son for the redemption of men and by which Christ expressed such passionate love for us that He offered Himself as a bleeding victim on Calvary for our sake. …

This interpretation is not only warranted by pious reflection. It is also the only one that can be best reconciled with medical assessments of what physically happened to Christ on the Cross. A number of commentators, both medically-informed theologians, as well as medical professionals themselves, have concluded that the best explanation for the blood and water that poured out is that the heart itself was stabbed.

A bit of medical science: the heart is encased in a sack of fluid known as the pericardium. This fluid actually serves as a lubricant for the heart muscle as it pumps blood (according to medical sources here and here). It is this surrounding fluid that accounts for the water that flowed out from the side.

But, because both water and blood flowed out, the spear likely had passed beyond the outer layers surrounding the heart. In other words, the spear did not only prick the heart’s outer surfaces but most likely penetrated the heart itself, according to one explanation presented by three doctors in their analysis of the death of Jesus.

(Readers can find the analysis of the doctors here; for more on the wound to the side, see especially pages 8 and 9 of that document. The alternative explanation for the inner piercing of the heart is that blood had already pooled in the pericardium. Either way, it seems certain that the heart was pierced, with the question being how far into the heart itself the lance went.)

Confident, then, that it was Jesus Christ’s very heart that was pierced for us, we can read anew both the gospel account and traditional interpretations of it.

In the crucifixion account, the piercing of the heart is paralleled in one other event: the tearing of the veil of the holy of holies in the temple. In a timeline of the crucifixion constructed from each individual gospel account, the tearing and the piercing happen in the same hour, around 3 p.m., after Jesus has already died. It’s hard to see this as coincidence. Anything, after all, recorded in these vital last hours of Jesus could hardly have been accidental to the account.

Now there is some debate as to whether there was one or more veils in the temple—and, if there was more than one veil, which one was actually torn. The view endorsed as mostly likely here is that the veil that was ripped was the one that separated the innermost, holy of holies from the rest of the temple.

In the temple, the holy of holies was where the glorious presence of God dwelled. In the first temple, it was actually the the location of the Ark of the Covenant, the mystical footstool of the invisible God. The ark itself had powers and was an object of veneration by the Israelites. Only one man, the high priest, could enter the holy of holies and, even then, this one man was allowed in once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The priest had to enter barefoot with his head down and incense shielding his eyes from a direct view of the glory cloud of the divine presence.

The rending of this veil, then, signified that men would no longer be cut off from the presence of God. One article on the topic well put it this way: “As the veil was torn, the Holy of Holies was exposed. God’s presence was now accessible to all.” This symbolized what really happened in the piercing of Christ’s heart. As Fulton Sheen puts it,

There is an intrinsic connection between the soldier piercing the Heart of Christ on the Cross, which drew forth Blood and water, and the rending of the veil of the temple. Two veils were rent: one, the purple veil of the temple which did away with the Old Law; the other, the veil of His Flesh which opened the Holy of Holies of Divine love tabernacled among us. In both instances, what was holy was made manifest; one, the Holy of Holies, which had been only a figure; the other, the true Holy of Holies, His Sacred Heart, which opened to the guilty access to God.

In the case of Christ, we can say that more than the presence of God was made accessible to man. In the biblical worldview, the heart was considered the seat of one’s being. So, in the piercing of Christ’s heart, God’s very being was opened up to us. Indeed, the Church teaches that we participate in the divine life through the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist, signified in the sacramental water and blood that poured out of the side of Christ.

It has been said that the way to a man’s heart is through his wounds. The crucifixion shows us that the way to God is through the wounded heart of Jesus Christ.

]]>http://catholicexchange.com/heart-pierced-us/feed0http://catholicexchange.com/heart-pierced-usWhen God Doesn’t Answerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/catholicex/~3/uMPXPucQ3nE/god-doesnt-answer
http://catholicexchange.com/god-doesnt-answer#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 04:05:14 +0000http://catholicexchange.com/?p=184822When I was a spiritual newborn, I thought I could study my way into heaven. If I just accrued the right information, gathered the necessary data, I could guarantee a seat in the celestial court, even if only in the nosebleed section. I remember combing the aisles of Barnes & Noble looking for books on Christian […]]]>

When I was a spiritual newborn, I thought I could study my way into heaven. If I just accrued the right information, gathered the necessary data, I could guarantee a seat in the celestial court, even if only in the nosebleed section. I remember combing the aisles of Barnes & Noble looking for books on Christian spirituality, the Saints, Catholic doctrine and anything else that I perceived could give me the tools to find and know God—and to be happy. I obsessed over gaining more knowledge, rapaciously consuming everything I could because I believed the more knowledge I had of the faith and God, the happier I would be. I was looking for a shortcut, one that detoured from the narrow way and dropped me off right at the front gates, you know, the pearly ones.

Of course, seeking knowledge about the faith and God is a very good thing. Yet, I took it to an extreme, not leaving enough room for grace, time and God to mold me. I would gain new insight from some book, which would inspire and motivate me on my spiritual journey, but soon the newfound zeal would fade. So, it would begin again. I would tell myself I just needed to find the right book, website, spiritual director or blog and that would be it! I would unlock the secret to living a good, happy and easy life. But I slowly came to realize the spiritual life doesn’t work that way. There is no magic, self-help book out there with all of the answers that can make our lives simpler and easier. In fact, as we proceed on the spiritual journey, I find that it’s just the opposite—the journey becomes rockier. There is no shortcut; the path to God is just hard.

The root of my problem was that I couldn’t accept that I don’t have all of the answers—that, despite my ego’s best efforts, I’m not in control. Whenever I had a big decision to make, I would sit in prayer, doing everything I could to hear God. I would pray, “God, if you just tell me what to do, if you let me know which option is the ‘better’ one, I’ll do it. Really, God, I’ll do it as long as you make it clear to me.” But as I knelt there, begging God to give me a clear answer, a flame of frustration would flicker to life. The response: silence. Why wasn’t God answering me? I was willing to do His will, so why wouldn’t He make it clear? Doesn’t He want me to make choices that will make Him happy?

I remember having a moment of insight a couple of years ago reading the story of Jesus and the rich man.

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.’” He replied and said to him, “Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Mark 10:17-22

I suddenly saw myself as the rich man. I saw myself questioning the Good Teacher, asking Him, “How can I inherit internal life?” And Christ’s answer to the rich man is the same one He gives me through His Church. I have the commandments—the Church has given us guidelines on how to live well and gain eternal life. Yet, like the rich man, I want to know more. I want to know exactly how to not only inherit eternal life, but also live a good and joyful life here and now. Like the answer given to the rich man, Jesus simply says, “come, follow me.”

Christ gives us the basics to live a good life (the commandments, sacraments, scripture, community, etc.), but when we ask for more He simply looks at us, loves us, and asks us to follow Him. But where are we going, Lord? When will we get there? These are the questions I want answered. But the Lord doesn’t always give us answers. It takes only a casual review of the Gospels to see that Christ’s preferred method of answering questions is with more questions.

This isn’t to say the Lord doesn’t guide us. At times He makes it clear to us what He wants us to do. And from my own personal experience, He’s given me clear guidance countless times in my life. But sometimes the Lord asks us to trust. Sometimes He asks us to trust that we—in union with the Holy Spirit—will make a good decision. We don’t always have the certainty we want, and sometimes we can only ask for the grace to keep walking in the dark, following a distant divine lantern not consumed by the darkness. And in that, we truly please God—that’s the test of our love for Him. He’s given us the natural ability, coupled with grace, to make good decisions for ourselves. We grow in not just doing what we’re told to, but choosing to trust the Lord when we don’t know what to do, when we are confronted with only doubt.

Some of the decisions I’ve made were done so only in trust. Sometimes I’m tempted to wonder if I made the right choice. Should I have taken the job I did? Am I really supposed to be living here? Was ending that relationship a mistake? At those moments I have to choose to trust God. Of course, I don’t always succeed. Yet, I have to believe that, even if I did make the wrong choice, God can and will make it right. It’s by the confidence and courage that the Holy Spirit gives us that we can continue on the journey, accepting that we know very little about where we’ve been and where we’re going. It’s the one thing that we’re all promised. God loves us and is always with us—no matter what.

It’s the only certainty we have. It’s the only one we need.

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”